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Bigger, badder, better: Broncos ramp up red zone

By Mike Klis

The Denver Post

Posted:
07/27/2014 10:42:05 PM MDT

Updated:
07/27/2014 11:07:04 PM MDT

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning prepares for day four of training camp Sunday at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Manning led all NFL quarterbacks by a wide margin last year with a 120.7 red-zone passer rating, but the departure of two of Manning's favorite targets — receiver Eric Decker and running back Knowshon Moreno — means the Broncos have to reconfigure their offense if they want to maintain their red-zone efficiency. (Photos by John Leyba / The Denver Post)

To improve their red-zone offense, the Broncos will have to do better than being No. 1 in the NFL. Some problems are little more pleasant to deal with than others.

"It's a new year, and it's different guys out there," left offensive guard Orlando Franklin said. "Different chemistry. Emmanuel Sanders wasn't here last year. Montee Ball didn't have as much of a role as he's having right now. So we've got to be able to work at it."

It was red zone and pretty much nothing but during the Broncos' team drills Sunday as they moved their training camp practice to Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

A crowd of 21,933 gathered to watch Peyton Manning operate in the confined area without his top receiver, Demaryius Thomas; without his second-favorite receiver the previous two years, Eric Decker; and without his favorite running back from the previous 1½ seasons, Knowshon Moreno.

Thomas is expected to return to camp today after missing the first four days following the passing of his grandmother. Decker and Moreno aren't coming back. They were set free on the open market and landed with new teams.

The Broncos hope that given Manning at quarterback, Sanders will wind up a better receiver than Decker. It won't be easy for Sanders to match Decker's skills in the red zone.

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Decker was a red-zone monster. Savvy in tight quarters and big at 6 foot, 3 inches and 215 pounds, Decker scored 18 of his 24 receiving touchdowns the previous two years from the red zone.

"I'm not Eric Decker. I'm Emmanuel. Eric is in New York," Sanders said. "I bring a different element to this team than he did. But at the same time, I want to make the same plays he did. I want to be as productive in this offense as he was. That's going to come."

The Broncos led the NFL in red-zone efficiency last year by converting touchdowns on 72.7 percent of their possessions from inside the opponents' 20-yard line. What makes the Broncos so red-zone good?

"It's Peyton," Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib said.

Indeed, Manning led all NFL quarterbacks by a wide margin last year with a 120.7 red-zone passer rating.

What's scary is Manning may have a better set of red-zone receivers this year. Yes, he lost one receiver in Decker, but he picked up two in Sanders and second-round rookie Cody Latimer.

At 5-11, 180 pounds, Sanders is smaller than Decker — but he's also faster, quicker and more elusive. Latimer is Decker-sized at 6-2 and 215.

Thomas and slot star Wes Welker return, and it appears the Broncos are creatively finding new ways to feed tight end Julius Thomas, who caught a beautifully thrown Manning red-zone pass in the corner of the end zone Sunday.

"Man, look at the guys he's got," Talib said. "Look at the weapons he's got. That's unheard of. Give a guy like Peyton that much firepower, it's almost like stealing."

It's also possible that in the Broncos' quest to become a tougher team this year, they will have to run the ball more around the goal line.

The Broncos scored 37 red-zone touchdowns off Manning passes last year, and 14 on the ground. The Broncos might get power points if they had something closer to a 30-20 red-zone split this year.

Moreno was an athletic, multipurpose back. In Ball and potential backup running back C.J. Anderson, the Broncos may be better able to slam their way through red-zone scrums.

A revised offensive line could also help. Moving Franklin from right tackle to left guard will give the Broncos more brute strength at the interior point of attack.

"It's definitely a different game," Franklin said. "When you talk about the running game as a tackle, you're taking the widest person. Now, when you're inside at guard, you have to think a little bit more, because something could happen with the (defensive) tackle or the end, and you end up on the Mike (middle linebacker)."

When it comes to thinking, nobody is smarter across the NFL's red-zone land than Manning. But red-zone efficiency is not the be-all. Super Bowl champion Seattle ranked 14th last year by converting a mere 53.2 percent red-zone possessions into touchdowns.

Talib played last year for the New England Patriots, whose offense had a 58.1 percent red zone touchdown efficiency. Then again, much was made about how Pats quarterback Tom Brady didn't have the supporting personnel that Manning had last year.

While it's possible Manning has a better receiving group this year, all that's certain is that it's different.

"This is a match-up type offense," Sanders said. "In the red zone, you don't have to be big, you don't have to be physical. You've just got to catch the ball in traffic. That's what I feel the red zone is. I don't have expectations other than I'd like to have 10-plus touchdowns like everybody else had here last year. We're working at it."

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